Robot Ship Maxlimer to Cross Atlantic

UK-based autonomous work-boat company SEA-KIT said that its Maxlimer could be the first unmanned surface vessel across the Atlantic.

The British drone ship is set to sail from the coast of Canada and attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean for Great Britain this fall in a voyage that could bring crewless cargo ships closer to reality.

According to The Daily Beast, the Atlantic crossing is scheduled for sometime in the first half of 2020. Since Maxlimer has a range of 12,000 nm with its twin diesel engines, the journey is well within its technical specifications, and it is expected to take about one month to complete the voyage.

The Maxlimer, recently won the Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE competition, working in conjunction with a Kongsberg HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicle.

With no need to support a human crew, a robotic support ship could devote more space to equipment, including a flotilla of smaller drone boats and submarines that it can launch and retrieve, the report said.